“Christina Alberta’s Father” by H. G. Wells (post 3): In contrast to Don Quixote, Wells’ protagonist does not have multiple personality

In my first post on H. G. Wells, quoting his autobiography, I noted he did not have multiple personality. But my second post on Wells, on his novel, Christina Alberta’s Father, was inconsistent with that, because the first half of the novel appeared to be setting up a story of unlabeled multiple personality (which is characteristic of authors who do have multiple personality).

I have now finished the novel, and the father, Mr. Preemby (who came to believe he was King Sargon), did not revert back to his true, Preemby identity, at the end, although the strength of his Sargon identity did lessen. (In contrast, Don Quixote did revert back to his true identity at the end.) Moreover, it had become increasingly clear that his Sargon identity was a psychotic delusion, not an alternate personality.

Some readers might think that all alternate personalities are psychotic delusions, and that multiple personality, per se, is psychotic. But as I’ve said in many past posts, multiple personality is not a psychosis. This is true, not only because the host personality usually has a quite conventional view of reality, but because the alternate personalities are rarely psychotic.

As I discussed in past posts on Don Quixote, the Don Quixote alternate personality is comically exaggerated to appear out of touch with reality (e.g., tilting at wind mills), but his ability to maintain his longterm relationship with Sancho Panza is very significant. Truly psychotic people have poor, estranged, interpersonal relationships. But people with multiple personality often maintain close relationships, sometimes even to the point of entanglement.

In Christina Alberta’s Father, when Mr. Preemby’s Sargon identity is strongest, his interpersonal relationships are nil, and he gets committed to an insane asylum. Wells tries to romanticize Sargon, but true psychosis is neither romantic nor comical.

In conclusion, H. G. Wells is an example of the 10% of novelists who do not have multiple personality, and this novel reflects it.